The Security Department of the USS London was all assembled per the request of their new Department Head. The ensemble of Ensigns, Lieutenants and Enslisted Crew all stood around chatting amongst themselves as they waited for the Commander.

A whoosh of the doors opening forced the collection of Officers and Crew to snap to attention. Three Officers walked into the Office, two Humans and an Andorian. The tall blue skinned Alien didn't say a word as he approached the group. A Lieutenant on either side of him.

"My name is Lieutenant Commander Solan Jekkar, I am the new Chief Security and Tactical Officer for the USS London." The Andorian held up a PADD. "Over the next few days I will be going over all the names on this PADD to,determine what kind of Department I have at my disposal."

The Officers still remained at attention as they were not ordered to remain as they were. A few of them seemed visibly nervous of their new superior. Others were taken by surprise that he focused so much on protocol and regulation.

"For those of you who new to my Command style, you'll learn that I am firm but fair and that I wouldn't ask you to do anything I wouldn't do myself." The Andorian said as his eyes looked around the Officers. "This Department will be the best on this Ship and I expect only the very best."

He looked at the two Lieutenants either side of him. "It's been decided that for better diversity and a smoother chain of command, Tactical Officers will report to Lieutenant Dawson and Security Officers will report to Lieutanent Nagata who will then report to me." Solan nodded at the idea. "If you feel that there are issues the Lieutenants cannot resolve then please by all means come to me."

There were a few looks of surprise from the assembled Crew, but for the most part it seemed fairly straightforward.

"Duty Rosters have been assigned so please take a look at those and also when I'll be conducting training and readiness drills." With a smile that seemed genuine, Solan nodded. "I look forward to working with you all, you're all dismissed."

John sat at the Ops console. On his screen, he scrolled though all the upgrades and repairs that were either finished, or in the process of being finished. Those not finished he commed the appropriate department and asked for an update. All departments responded politely.

Sometimes his mind wondered, thinking of Sephora....uh, Ensign Berel.

He needed to clear his mind of her. It wasn't correct to be distracted while on duty. So once he was relieved, he headed down to the gym to get in some exercise.

Solan had arrived on London and dropped his bag off into his Quarters assignment and then proceeded to take a Turbolift up to the Bridge to meet his new Captain. He had his orders in hand and checked his Uniform.

When the lift stopped, he stepped out and moved to the Ready Room and pressed the chime

With the Briefing complete, Cal stepped out of the Briefing room. Immediately he spotted an imposing Andorian man standing by his Ready Room.

"Can I help you?" He asked, coming up behind the man.

Solan nodded. "Lieutenant Commander Solan Jekkar, reporting." The Andorian said handing him a PADD with his orders on.

Cal took the PADD and pressed the control to open the Ready Room. "After you Commander."

The Andorian nodded. "Thank you Sir."

Captain Rhodes looked over the Andorian's record quickly as he rounded the desk and sat. "Have you been briefed about London's function with Task Force 11?"

"Yes Sir, but please feel free to give me your description." Solan said with a nod towards the Captain.

Calvin gestured for Solan to sit. "To be plain, our job is to provide Diplomatic resources to the Klingon-Gorn conflict." He set the PADD to the side. "As Chief of Security, I expect you'll be very busy with the delegates we have coming aboard."

Solan nodded. "I imagine so, Gorn and Klingons are unpredictable in all manner of things." The Commander nodded. "I hope you have a stomach for insults."

The comment made Calvin think back to the words used about his father and his family back on Earth.He smiled uncomfortably at the Andorian. "We have the Federation's delegation coming on board tomorrow. So we'll need a full sweep on the Ambasador's quarters and their workspace." He gave a serious look. "We have no room for error in any of this."

Solan nodded. "I'll see to it." The Andorian said in response. "I'd also ask that any Security arrangements come through my Office first." The Commander wasn't usually one to make demands but this was different. "Can't have their Escorts walking around the Ship,without consulting em first."

Rhodes raised an eyebrow at the Andorian man. He admired the man's forwardness. "I don't see any issue with that. I'll put you in touch with Ambassador Waldorf's man before her arrival."

Solan nodded. "Thank you Sir." The Andorian stood back at the Desk. "My expertise lies more as an Investigator and Thinker than a blunt force instrument so I hope my skill set is useful to you."

Cal smiled. "Not to worry, I'm sure you'll have plenty of brute force on your team." The Captain stood. "If you'll excuse me, I have a call with Starfleet Operations." He gestured towards the rooms exit. "I'm looking forward to working with you Commander."

All Senior Staff are hereby requested and required to report to the Deck One Briefing room no later than 0900 on this day. As ordered by Captain Calvin Rhodes.

The text message was sent to the staff that was already aboard, and now all Calvin could do was wait. He was almost giddy that they were this close to departure. He knew some of the staff would share in his excitement, and other wouldn't. That was okay, because regardless, this was Cal's ticket out.

Raising an eyebrow as he read the announcement Syrrik looked down at his plate as he sat in his quarters. He finished his light breakfast and his tea. Putting the plate and glass back in the replicator to be recycled he took a quick shower and got into uniform. Walking down the hall from his quarters towards the turbolift he looked around. The ship still didn't seem to be quite full though he had no doubts that would be fixed with time.

He stepped into the turbolift. "Deck one." He waited for a few moments as his thoughts wandered. The lift stopped and the doors opened. He stepped out and headed towards the briefing room. Walking into the room he nodded to Cal. "Good morning Captain." He took his seat at the table to Cal's right side. In his mind the XO was the captain's right hand.

Cal nodded to the Vulcan commander as he sat. "Good morning Commander." he said, with a slight smile. "We'll need to discuss some arrangements for the arival of the Federation Delegation tomorrow."

Syrrik raised an eyebrow but nodded. "A delegation, am I to assume we are being called on to achieve some sort of diplomatic purpose then?"

Cal smiled coyly but remained silent.

The door opened again as the Andorian engineer stepped into the room. " Good morning everyone." she said smiling politely she took her seat.

Koenig summoned his replacement at Ops. When they came, he logged out, picked up his PADD, walked over and entered the briefing room. As he maneuvered to a chair, he politely nodded at everyone there.

The Captain nodded to the Ensign as he watched him take a seat.

Sephora had just arrived at the Diplomatic office when the call went out for the senior staff. She waited a few moments for anyone to step out of their office, but none did, so she reached out with her mind and sensed no one in the immediate area.

She let out a girlish squeal of excitement and practically ran out of the office.

A few seconds later, she returned, grabbed a PADD and then started making her way to the briefing room.

Calvin watched as the doors parted letting a young female Ensign in Diplomatic purple into the room.

Sephora nodded at the captain as she took a seat that gave her a view of the space they were about to journey into.

"Sir, Diplomatic Section reporting," she said. "There was no one present in the office when the call came down, so I took the liberty of filling in."

Cal couldn't suppress his grin. He was impressed by her eagerness and initiative.

She looked over at the rest of the staff.

"Hello, I'm Ensign Sephora Berel" she said cheerfully. "I look forward to serving with you all."

She then activated her PADD and prepared to take notes.

John watched the Ensign walk in..hoping she would sit by him. He smiled at her when she looked at him.

Syrrik looked up from his PaDD. He had made sure to get everything in order to keep for his notes. With the Captain's previous words to him he was sure this was going to be a rather delicate mission. The Federation did not put together a full delegation for trading routes or any such mundane things. This was likely to be very interesting indeed.

He looked over and nodded to the two Ensigns that had come in. "Good morning Ensigns."

Sephora turned her megawatt smile towards the first officer.

"Good morning, Sir," she said.

John briefly looked at the first officer, "Morning, sir.", then he turned back towards Sephora.

Syrrik noted the Captain was still getting himself sorted for the briefing. He looked back to the Ensgns. "So Ensigns since we are here and will be working together why don't you tell me about yourselves? How long have you been out of the academy? What commands did you transfer here from? That sort of thing.

"Sir, this is my second assignment," Sephora said, fidgeting excitedly. "I was previously assigned to the Diplomatic section at Starfleet Headquarters. I learned a lot, now I'm ready to go out into the galaxy and start applying what I've learned.

"I have to say sir, I'm really excited about this opportunity," she continued, her enthusiasm almost palpable. "To be part of the maiden voyage on Starfleet's premier Ambassador-class vessel is incredible! Not many people get to be part of history, and I'm going to do my best to make sure this chapter is a great one!"

She looked down and saw she had grabbed the first officer's hand in her excitement. Remembering Vulcans' dislike of physical contact, she jerked her hand away.

Ensign Koenig looked at Syrrik. "This is my third posting since graduating from the academy. I was first assigned to the Valiant, then transferred to the Morgan. I put in for this ship because of the mission, and the challenges." He looked at Sephora and wondered, 'Would I have the nerve to ask her to dinner?....or would she simply dismiss me?'

" My second posting here. She's a good ship even if i'm having to draw up new blueprints. " The Andorian engineer said from her seat.

Captain Rhodes looked around. "I think that's everyone we have at the moment, so let's begin."

John pulled out his padd and started taking notes.

The Captain activated a holoprojector embedded in the conference table. the image showed the Ambassador Class ship and zoomed breifly on the external upgrades. "First off, welcome aboard London. I'm so pleased to be able to embark on this journey with all of you."

John was already familiar with all the upgrades, both internal and external.

Cal stood and moved around the table. "I'm sure you've all been wondering about the assignment that we'll be undertaking with Task Force 11."

Syrrik looked at the schematic. He had studied it already both on his journey to the ship and since he had been aboard. However, he wanted to make sure he hadn't missed any last minute changes or details to the refit. He made notes on his PaDD as he looked back to the Captain. He already had something of an idea of what was going on. It would be interesting to see the reactions of the others.

"I have recieved our orders from Captain Devinona Ral of Task Force 11, we will be acting as the Federation's Diplomatic Flagship for the Force. Focusing primarily on bringing diplomatic resources to the region affected by the ongoing Gorn-Klingon conflict."

John made a note on his PADD. Bring diplomatic resources to the ongoing Gorn-Klingon conflict. He hoped that both the Gorn and the Klingons would honor the protection of a diplomatic mission because either side sometimes didn't.

Syrrik shook his head slightly. Letting out a slow breath his fingers swiftly begain typing on his PADD. "It's likely then we will need to keep tactical and security up to speed at all times. Considering who we are talking about...well neither of them have been known to adhere to any sort of law or protocol when it comes to non combatants. To them everyone is a combatant whether they wish to be or not."

"I'm not sure how up to date everyone is on the conflict," Calvin peererd around the table."What we're dealing with are mounting tensions with the Gorn Hegemony and the Klingon Empire." the projection flickered and showed a star made. The borders of the Empire and the Hegemony were highlighted. "There have been a number of small skirmishes along the borders. Victories have been pretty split, but they are becoming more and more frequent."

The Captain crossed his arms. "Command believes it is only a matter of time before the Empire reaches out for assistance officially."

He looked around again. "Now obviously, we don't want full out war. So that's where we come in. A neutral, diplomatic ferry and facilitator. Questions?"

When no one immediately answered, Calvin deactivated the holographic display. "The Federation Council's delegation will arrive Tomorrow evening. Myself and Commander Syrrik will be welcoming the delegation. Ambassador Waldorf has asked that the formal reception wait until we're underway so that preparations are kept on schedule."

"Does everyone have Mess Kit that is properly fitted?" The Human Captain asked, his face conveyed the seriousness of his inquiry.

Sephora's eyes went wide. She couldn't remember if she had packed it or not. A panic set in and she turned white as a sheet.

"Department heads will be responsible for ensuring all crew under them are appropriately kitted before we leave dock." He paused. "I cannot even begin to stress how important it is that this is seen to as soon as possible."

John's kit was secure in one of his closets. Truthfully, he hated it. The official dinners were mostly boring. But, for a mission like this, it was essential.

He smiled, now relieved he had said all he needed. "Now are there any questions?"

Since Koenig had nothing to say or ask, he kept silent.

Captain Rhodes looked around at his staff. "No?" He asked, as no one had raised any queries."Good then. Dismissed."

John rose from his chair and started towards the door. Seph was behind him, so he allowed her to exit first. "Ladies first."

He was between shifts, so John decided to head to the mess hall for awhile. Once he got there, he ordered some iced tea and some chips and headed to an empty table.The mess was quiet tonight. Alpha shift had just ended and the next shift took over. He was surprised it was so quiet.

Sitting at the bar the andorian engineer was busy drinking her second andorian ale when the door opened. Noting the rather lonely looking human she picked up her drink and walked over to his table. " Hello there. This seat free?" she asked politely.

"Yes it is. Please." He stood, and pulled out the chair for her.

" Thanks. Thex sh'Zoarhi Chief of Engineering." She said offering her hand as she sat down.

He shook her hand. "John Koenig....Operations."

" So how are things going in Operations?" The Andorian said politely taking a sip from her drink.

"I've been working double shifts, doing diagnostics on all the new upgrades we've been receiving. I think I finally caught up on all the work." He looked at her and sipped his iced tea. "And how are things in engineering?"

" Very busy. The ships refits have warped the plans and i've been busy mapping it all out. Need to know where all the important power modules are." The Andorain said as she took another sip of her ale.

"I've been keeping track of all the upgrades, so I know it's slow going. I have some engineering experience, so if I can be of help, feel free to ask."

Sephora strolled into the mess hall. She was off duty, so she was wearing either a very intricatedly embroidered knee length caftan. Her dark hair fell in loose waves to her shoulders.

She grabbed a tray, picked up a few items from the chow line and came over to the pair. "May I join you?" she asked.

John watched the woman as she walked, no gilded, across the floor, get her tray and walk over to the table. It was all he could do to muster up, "Please."

"Thank you," she said, taking a seat.She didn't need telepathy to know that the man was already interested in her, she could tell by his body language; he had leaned forward, his eyes had widened and had been locked on her ever since she approached the table. As long as he didn't work in the same section as her, she was open to the possibility of a relationship with him.

"I'm Sephora Berel," she said, extending her hand. "And you are...?"

Nervously replying, "John Koenig." He took the hand and gently shook it.

Syrrik entered the mess and looked around. It was quiet which was something he was not yet used to. However, he made his way towards the replicators. He wasn't starving so he got a light meal and a glass of kali-fal. He headed to find a seat. He nodded to Sephora and John as he passed them.

"Nice to meet you, John Koenig," she said, a playful smile on her lips.

She turned to the Andorian and extended her hand. "And you are...?"

John couldn't take his eyes off her. He didn't know why..........but he couldn't.

" Thex sh'Zoarhi Chief of Engineering. I'm in charge of keeping this girl moving." Thex replied with a smile on her blue face.

"Nice to meet you, Thex sh'Zoarhi," Sephora said.

Syrrik looked where the rest of the officers were gathering. While true the CO and XO had to hold themselves slightly apart for reasons of command, there was no reason to eat apart. That would simply cause a rift between command and the rest of the crew. That was his duty to avoid. He picked his tray up and walked over to where they were seated. "Is there room for one more here?"

Sephora turned to the first officer."Of course," she said, smiling warmly. "As the saying goes, the more the merrier. Who are you?"

John got up and offered the commander his chair. Then he went to the next table, borrowed a chair, and sat next to Sephora.

Berel smiled at the Ensign as he took the seat next to her. Returning her attention to the Commander she asked, "When do we ship out sir?"

He sat his tray down before taking a seat nodding to John as he did so. He looked to Berel and shrugged. "That as of yet I do not know. I believe they are finishing a few things up on the ship before we get to our mission assignment. However, I doubt that it will be much longer. A week at the most. It will give us time to make sure all the dust has been blown from the systems and that everything in in working order. It wouldn't do to be half way into the mission and systems start failing."

Seph nodded. "It's rather magnificent, being on a ship with so much history yet it's so modern and luxurious."

" Not when you're trying to fix the main warp conduit. The blueprints don't match up with the current layout." Thex said thinking back at her long day.

"I suppose that's the problem with a complete refit." Sephora sipped at her drink. "I'm sure if you requested the refit plan from the Shipyard, they'd send them." The woman smiled, happy some of her diplomatic logic was transferrable.

John checked the time. "I have to report for duty in 10 minutes." He stood. "Please excuse me." He leaned over to Seph. "Next time we're off duty, maybe we can get dinner together?"

Syrrik finished his light breakfast. He found that eating anything too heavy in the morning seemed to slow him down for most of the day. He thought about the dinner that happened the previous night with some of the crew and shook his head. It seemed there was some room for improvement and some definite communication and guidance needed with some of them. Well, that was his job and he would get to it soon enough.

However, first thing was first. He needed to formally check in with the captain to fulfill that obligation with Starfleet. They set a heavy store on the formalities. He put the implements of his breakfast back in the replicator to be recycled. Making sure his uniform was adjusted straight he headed out of his quarters and towards the turbo lift.

Entering the turbo lift he was still in his thoughts. "Bridge." The captain was probably in his ready room. He'd report in there. The turbo lift stopped and the doors open. Stepping out he walked the short way to the captain's ready room and pressed the button to alert the captain that someone was outside.

As the chime rang out, Cal settled into his chair. "Come in!" He called, wondering who might be calling so early.

Syrrik entered the room. He stood at attention in front of the Captain's desk. "Lieutenant Commander Syrrik reporting for duty, sir."

Cal smiled at the formality of the Vulcan. "At Ease Commander." He stood and extended a hand. "Welcome aboard, officially that is."

Syrrik nodded and relaxed his stance slightly. He took Cal's hand in a firm grip for the handshake. After releasing his hand he handed the PADD to him. "My transfer orders sir. I believe they are all in order. Are there any special standing orders I should know about for the crew?"

'Standing Order!' Cal thought. 'I knew I was forgetting something.' He squared his shoulders. "The ship's Standing Orders are being revised." He said officiously. "For now we are operating as usual, and awaiting our specific orders from Captain Ral with Task Force Eleven."

Syrrik nodded again. "Understood, is there anything else I should be aware of in our mission status before we get underway? I'm sure there are details most of the crew are lacking and for good reasons."

He tried to keep the look of irritation from his face. "Diplomats..of course. I assume when they come aboard you will want a full formal reception for them. Including dress uniforms for all senior officers and crew attending?"

"I suspect we'll be in Dress kit a lot." Cal said with a sly smile.

Syrrik shook his head. The Starfleet formal uniform in his opinion looked in bad taste. It made him think of something the humans called a waiter or maitre d. It was not a uniform he was particularly fond of. "That sounds like it's going to mean a lot of boring talk with everyone trying to interpret what everyone else is saying because no one is saying what they mean. Why are we stuck with the diplomatic mission? I would think a Galaxy class would be a better option for such a thing."

"As an older design, with few possibilities for tactical repurposing, Starfleet Command saw an opportunity to keep the Galaxy's in....errrr... more involved roles." Calvin was trying to keep a positive spin on things.

Syrrik raised an eyebrow. "You mean no captain would take the job when they could be doing more exciting things so we get stuck with it. Since we are no longer fit for any sort of armed role." He let out a slow breath. "Perhaps one of the diplomats will die from being poisoned by the other side. That should make things interesting." He looked up and saw the look from Calvin and put his hands up. "I'm just kidding. I know full well the kind of diplomatic incident and strain that would bring." He shrugged. "Remember Captain I come from a tactical background. Combat is what I know best."

"A ntastic skill set to have, given the situation."To say that he was unamused by the XO's humour would be and understatement. But then, perhaps, humour was what would get them through this alive. "Should we get to work?" The Human asked.

John spent the last 2 shifts going through a series of diagnostics on all the weapons, engines and shield upgrades that the ship had been going through. "Computer, time."

"The time is 0350 hours."

Up to this point, only 1 report showed something wrong. He traced the problem to a blown circuit in the phaser controls. He contacted engineering and scheduled it to be replaced.

He finished his reports, copying them to all department heads, noting that if anyone discovered something wrong, to contact him either before or after repair or replacement. This way, there would be a record in the logs.

Out of habit, he patted the Ops console. He picked up this habit at the academy because one of his instructors did it. He logged out and headed to the turbolift.

When he got to his quarters, he logged into the computer system in his quarters and checked for any updates. Luckily, there were no new updates that he had to immediately take care of.

His quarters were standard for an junior officer. Bedroom with a double bed. Living room with some chairs, side tables, a couch and a table and chairs around the table. On the side tables were some holographic pictures of his family. There was a bare wall in the living room. He hadn't decided what to put there. He's hoping that on one of his shore leaves, something will catch his eye.

He stripped down to his shorts and got in bed. "Computer, dim the light." He laid awake, thinking about if he might have missed something. But eventually, he fell asleep.

Asher walked into the mess and scanned the room. There wasn't much staff on the ship yet and one could see that by how dead the room was. He took a moment and a deep breath as he debated if he should just go eat in his room before deciding otherwise.

After getting what he called a working man's meal, steak and potatoes, he moved across the empty mess, taking a seat near the window.

With a PADD in hand Cal entered the aptly named Duke's Head crew lounge on London's deck 8 and massaged his neck with his free hand. The PADD contained emergency tranfer orders for his sought-off First Officer. It seemed First Contact negotiations with trumped the Second Chair on a Starship for someone of her experience.

He found his way over to the Bar and ordered a double Saurian Brandy before searching for a table. While not all crew was aboard, Calvin assumed that the lounge would have some activity. Holding his drink and his PADD, Cal looked around and spotted Chief Asher the Chief Security and Tactical Officer alone by the windows.

Cal tucked the PADD into his pocket and made his way over to him. "Mind if I join you?" He asked, indicating an empty seat at the table.

"Not at all, Sir, have a seat?" Asher said looking up at the Captain, "How has the day been treating you, Sir?"

Syrrik had finished with Ops getting checked onto the ship as well as getting his quarter assignment along with his security clearances. It had taken a bit longer than he had thought it would. Perhaps something for him to look into once he settled into his post. He put his carry-on bag in his quarters. He knew the rest of his things would be beamed over shortly. However it was time to check in with the captain.

He checked with the computer to see where the captain was. Stepping out of his quarters he headed to the turbo lift. "Deck eight" When the turbo lift stopped he headed down the hallway to the lounge. Stepping inside he looked around. With the small crew present, he wasn't surprised by the seeming lack of atmosphere in the lounge. Spotting the captain sitting with another person he walked over. "Captain, Lieutenant Commander Syrrik reporting sir. I have finished with Ops so the most logical thing was to check in with you next."

"How Diligent." Smiled and gave a playful wink to Adam, his campanion at the table. "I think a formal meeting can wait until tomorrow. Why don't you join us?" Calvin was in the mood to enjoy the company of his staff, and it seemed the night was shaping up to deliver just that.

Syrrik nodded. "Of course captain. I will get a meal and join you shortly." Walking to the replicators He got a plate of kleetanta with forati sauce and a side of t'mirak rice. He also ordered a cup of vulcan spiced tea. Taking his meal he turned and headed back towards the table.

Nodding to both of them he sat down in one of the empty seats. "I trust the evening finds the both of you well? My apologies for my manner of speech earlier. Formality seems to be ingrained in me due to my mother." He chuckled slightly. He knew that might be a shock to them as he looked more Vulcan than anything. Not much of his Romulan side showed in his looks.

Ensign Koenig had just come off a double shift trying to get the ops console updated and running. He wasn't sure if this was a senior officers only club, but since he saw no sign, he entered. He walked over to the food dispenser and ordered a ham and swiss cheese, on rye, sandwich...with mustard...and a beer. He saw the senior officers gathered at a table, and walked over to an empty table near the wall. He sat and started eating his sandwich.

Asher watched the young Ensign come in and take a seat by himself. With noone else in the mess and knowing what it was intimadating to join seinor officers smiled as he turned in his chair and adressed the Ensign , "Ensign while don't we make it a party," He smiled, "Come join us,"

John stood up, grabbed his sandwich and beer and headed over to their table. "Thank you sir." He looked around and nodded and said "sir" as he looked at each senior officer. Before sitting, he asked, "Can I get anyone something, sirs?"

Cal shook his head while eying Asher for a reaction to the Ensign's answers. He had known many enlisted men in his life, and very few like to be addressed as sir.

Syrrik raised an eyebrow looking to John. "Ensign if you are going to insist on calling me sir in every sentence I'm afraid I'm going to have to jettison you out of the nearest airlock. I do believe we are all of the same crew and all off duty at the current moment in time. You were even invited to join use to share a meal and conversation. However, if you keep sticking to protocol and complete formality. Well...then I just might have to do something drastic. Like toss you in the holodeck programed with a harem of Orion women til you have mellowed out a bit." He grinned and chuckled as he took another drink of his tea.

Rhodes was taken a bit by suprise by the XO. He let out a small laugh at the statement.

"Respectfully sir, I don't think it's proper for a junior officer to address a superior by their given name, sir. And I'd doubt if that program would 'mellow' me, sir" He walked to the replicator to get himself another beer.

The doors to the crew lounge opened as the ships Andorian engineer stepped through. She was wearing the fleet yellow utility jumpsuit and judging by the look on her face she been through a very long day. Walking over to the bar without looking round she ordered a large Andorian ale which much to the bartenders surprise she downed in one long gulp before ordering another.

As he watched the Andorian enter a thought popped into the Captain's head. He quickly pulled the PADD from his pocket and made a note for the upcoming staff meeting. Replacing the device to his pocket, he waved at the Engineer. "Lieutenant, come join us."He called, a little too jovial.

Turning her head the Andorian noticed who had called her. Smiling at the group she picked up her fresh ale and walked over to the replicator before replicating a large plate of nachos before walking over to the table. " Thank you sir. " She said before nodding to the others. " Nice to meet you all."

"Lieutenant sh'Zoarhi is taking over in Engineering." The Captain said, hopinig it might explain the Andorian Shen's attire.

Syrrik took a drink of his tea and nodded to the engineer. "Greetings Lieutenant, I'm glad to see the ship in the hands of a prodigious and efficient engineer." Taking another bite of food he looked around seeing the lounge slowly start to fill with the crew. His face was a mask as in his mind he was still wondering what to do about the Ensign. While working within protocol was commendable. There was such a thing as taking it to far.

John looked at Syrrik, and wondered, "What does he have against me? Proper protocol is never to address a senior officer by their first name, even in an off duty situation.....the Academy drilled that into every cadet." John ate his sandwich and sipped his beer.

Hoping to lighten the mood a bit, Cal looked around at the staff that was gathered. "How's everyone liking the old clunker?" He asked, gesturing around them. Despite the estensive refit and remodel, the ship was antique at best. Cal was glad, they weren't going into combat.

"It's a fine ship, sir. I'm sure it will do the Fleet proud, sir." John rose and went to the replicator and ordered another beer.

"I'm sure you're right Ensign." Cal said, internalizing a smile at the young man's optimism.

Syrrik raised an eyebrow. "The ship while being of an older model and design should still be fully functional for the type of missions we will be called upon to carry out. This is not a top of the line warship however, I doubt we will be ordered to the neutral zone or any area that might pose a threat if military style maneuvers are required." He looked around. "All in all it is a well put together ship. I believe it will stand us in good stead."

Captain Rhodes smiled and opened his mouth to speak but found himself cut off by the sound of the comm.

As the turbo lift rolled up the ship the Andorian engineer couldn't help, but feel existed. She was responsible for keeping this ship running now. No longer having to take orders from the old chief and wondering where he'd left the tools. Pity she was going to miss him.

The door's slid open onto the redone bridge of the London causing the Andorian to pause for a second. She knew the old bridge layout and the new modern layout clashed with the blueprints in her mind.

Shaking her head she walked over to the captain's ready room and pressed the door alarm.

Cal had only just settled into his desk after a late start to his morning. "Come." He called, unsure who to expect.

With a deep breath, the Andorian put on her best smile and stepped into the room. " Captain Rhodes, Lieutenant Junior Grade Thex sh'Zoarhi reporting for duty as Chief Engineering Officer." She stated politely as she snapped to attention.

"Good to finally meet you Lieutenant." Cal said, as he stood. The Captain extended a hand to the Andorian and greeted her. "Welcome to London."

The Andorian smiled as her anntena stopped twitching as she took the captain's hand. " Glad to be here sir. The London looks like an interesting ship. It will be interesting when I look at her guts and see what the boys back at Jupiter have done to get her ready for this mission." She said not bothering to hide the excitement in her voice.

The Captain was amused at her eagerness. He smiled warmly. "I've only been here a few days," He started. "but I already love her like my own." He offered a coy wink to the Andorian.

He pulled his expressions together before getting down to business. "Your first order will be getting the VIP Quarters ready for our first delegates. "

" Should be simple enough sir. "

"The Federation Council is sending their representatives for our first trip out." Cal looked a bit nervous at the prospect.

" Do we know if the representatives need any specialised environments or have requested anything for their quarters? I'd hate to be woken up at midnight because one of the representatives has some petty annoyance." The Andorian responded her voice showing it had happened to her before.

Cal nodded his understanding of the concern. "Our Federation delegates decided to take it easy on us. " He smiled. "Nothing special or out of the ordinary. At least not yet."

" Knowing the Federation's delegates that means they'll spring something on us when they arrive. Are there any systems that need priority for a testing before we get going?" Thex replied smiling slightly to herself.

Cal was a bit embarassed that he didn't know. "You'll need to check with the someone in Engineering about that. I haven't had much chance to go over anything to be honest." The Captain's face had deepened in colour slightly.

"Is that the time?" Cal asked, glancing towards a PADD. "I'm sorry I have to cut this short. I have a scheduled call." He straightened up, "Dismissed Lieutenant."

Cal exited his Ready Room with a PADD in one hand and a cup of Ettaberry Tea in the other. The tea was necessary in his Ready Room, as the temperature seemed to be stuck just above freezing. Despite requesting a technician to fix it, none had arrived. His eyes were glued to the PADD as he strode on to the Bridge. Crossing to the Helm, he handed the PADD to the helmsman who was seated there. "These navigational mods need to be executed by this evening and full diagnostic completed."

The Helmsman nodded and went to work at the console. Commander Rhodes had very little command experience under his belt, but he thought thats so far his first day in command had gone well. He hunched over the the Helm, set his mug down atop the console, and started going over the thruster assemby schematics. When he heard the lift doors part, he was expecting it to be the Technician sent to fix the temperature in his Ready Room, but instead when he turned he was greeted by the imposing figure of a Starfleet Capain. One whom he recognized as Devinona Ral. She was assigned as the Commanding Officer of the Task Force that London would be joining.

"Attention on Deck." He called out. All those who were working around him stood promply and faced the Turbolift.

"Tight ship you run here." said Captain Devinona Ral as she stepped onto the bridge. She was genuinely surprised by the show of formality.She peered around curiously before her eyes fell on Cal. "Relax Commander." She half laughed. Her Betazoid accent was indicative of her upbringing on the Coast of the Opal Sea.

Cal looked around the Bridge and caught the gazes of the crew. "As you were." He said, relaxing himself as well.

As Dev came closer Cal began to speak without fully thinking. "If you're here to relieve me of command can we do it in the Ready Room, out of sight of the crew." Calvin certainly wasn't the picture of confidence he used to be. The recent happening with his Father had put him off his game. He couldn't help but feel ashamed at his deduction of the Captain's intent.

Dev cocked her head to the left side in confusion. "Why would I want to relieve you of command?" she asked as her eyes wandered about the command centre.

Cal nodded. "I was worried Starfleet might see me as a liability, or a security risk sir."

"The only security risk is..." The Betazoid came to an uncomfortablely close distance and leaned in to Cal's ear. "...your ability to not think before you speak" she whispered with a grin.

Cal blushed. "Sorry Captain. I'll keep that in mind." His face burned red. "What can I help you with?"

Devinona had turned away from him, but turned back quickly to answer his question. "Tea would be lovely." She smiled over her shoulder.

"This way." He said, his face still unsure as to the reasoning behind Ral's presence. He ushered her towards the Observation Lounge, knowing his Ready Room was unsuitable due to the temperature. "Make yourself comfortable." He said, as he crossed to the replicator.

Devinona looked around the room curiously. The finishing were quite luxurious. But then again, her purpose was to ferry diplomats, opulance fell under that category for comfort of the delagates. She took a seat in a lush chair and waited.

Silently entering the perameters for his favorite Betazoid tea blend manually, Cal returned to the table with a tea tray. On it was a traditional Betazoid Tea pot and two handleless cups.

The Commander took a seat across from the Captain and placed the tray between them.

Dev sniffed the air. "Ettaberry. Good choice." She said with a smile. She poured a cup and sat back in her eat.

Cal poured a cup for himself and took a sip."So, what brings you to London." He asked plainly.

The Captain smiled at Cal. "I have some very exciting news."

Rhodes set down his cup and leaned in a bit, anxious for the 'news'.

Devinona followed suit. She had noted his axiety and had hoped tea would put him more at ease, but it hadn't. "Very well!" She said. "If you must know." The Captain pushed back her chair and stood.She promptly pulled a PADD from her pocket and activated it.

With slight hesitation, Cal stood as well, unsure whether of not it was the right move.

Clearing her throat, Devinona began to read the PADD. "Commander Calvin Patrick Rhodes. By order of Starfleet Command, you are hereby promoted to the rank of Captain, with all the right and responsibilies that go along with it."

Calvin was shokked and speechless.

Dev lowered the PADD and smiled widely at Calvin. "Congratulation Captain." She said jovially, holding out her hand to him.

'Better get a head start on my day.' He thought.The Commander walked in to the washroom, "Activate Sonic Shower." He said, stepping in to the stall.

As he stood, allowing the sonic pulses to erradicate the dirt from his body, he began to think about what lay ahead for him aboard London. And suddenly all thoughts of his father seemed to slip far from his mind, as if washed away with the dirt.

He stepped out of shower, and walked toward his bedroom. He pulled a fresh uniform from a closet, and dressed.

"Computer, List Day's Schedule." He commanded, his voice steady.

"No Schedule Listed. Would you like to add entries?" The familiar voice asked.

"No." said Cal as he headed to the door, "Nothing at all." Rhodes stepped out of his quarters, filled with ease at the prospect of moving far away from all the scandal, and the questions. He felt....happy]]>Mon, 29 Aug 2016 18:14:01 +0000Settling Into Sickbayhttp://london.pegasusfleet.net/index.php/sim/viewpost/70
http://london.pegasusfleet.net/index.php/sim/viewpost/70Mission - 01-A Prologue of Sorts Location - SickbayTimeline - MD02 - 1730

Nikola was pleased that she was able to bring some humanity to the sickbay walls. This was the first time she would have any real control over how part of a ship was run. Sure, she had command over other officers before, but this was the first time that a whole department answered to her.

As she was attaching a couple of large peaceful landscapes to the sickbay walls, the sickbay doors opened to have two crewmen bring two crates on an antigrav sled into sickbay. They were from the station. These were the additional medical supplies that she had requisitioned. They asked her where she wanted them.

As she directed them, she had a strange thought. She found that instead of feeling the pressure of responsibility that a new Chief Medical Officer might feel in a new position like this, she was feeling another feeling. It was hard to put her finger on it. Was it the control of her own destiny, at least more control than she had before? Was it power over more other people? "No," she thought, "That doesn't sound like me." However, she could feel something. She laughed out loud at her next thought, "Maybe I just like the idea that I can relieve that young guy up on the bridge of command."

Her laugh caused the two crewmen to make strange faces, but they didn't say anything.

Asher walked onto the Security deck, deck 10. Everything a security chief would need was on this deck, from the Armory to Firing ranges to the brig. This was Asher's Domain.

The newly promoted CPO took a moment to walk the deck before making his way to his office. He was happy to see that a decent number of his team on already aboard. Very shortly he would be putting them to work and this deck would be bustling with activity.

Walking into his office for only the 2nd time Asher took a seat and began coming up with two duty rosters. One for when they had guests and one for guestless operations. At this point, he wasn’t sure which roster would be considered normal and thought the use of the word “guestless” was fun, mostly because it was awkward.

Deck 3 was the main deck for all VIPs that may come aboard and he knew that it needed to be the most secure deck on the ship, besides the bridge and engineering or course. Not wasting a moment Asher pressed a button on his desk that called in his assistant sitting in the main security lounge outside his office.

A few moments later a Crewmen Apprentice walked in, “Sir?” He simply asked after walking in,

“See to it that Deck 3 is sealed off to all but senior staff and security personnel. We will begin a security sweep of the whole deck shortly,” Asher Ordered

“Yes, Sir, right away,” The Crewmen said as he quickly walked out of the room.

Asher thought to himself that he seemed a little stiff and hoped that would change shortly. He hated when he had to be all serious.

The plan was to sweep the deck from top to bottom for the next two days sealing off each section as they go. With the ship being open to dry dock crews for so long Asher didn’t feel safe. After this first sweep, he would have the deck swept after each mission and then seal most of the deck until the next time it was needed.

He wasn’t sure if this was overboard or not but he needed to ensure those VIPs that came aboard were safe.

Asher had not reported into duty his first day on the London. He had instead taken the time to read up on his own staff and unpack both his room and office. His orders gave him a three-day window to report in so it was, by no means, a big deal. After a good breakfast of real, not replicated, eggs and ham Asher thought it was time to head on up and report in.

Walking off of the Lift Asher Scanned the bridge and smiled. He always loved the site of a good bridge and this was a nice design. He was pretty sure the fleet had updated it from the classes original and he liked it. At the current moment, the bridge was empty. A rare sight on a starship that Asher took full advantage as he enjoyed the sight.

It wasn't long before he had made it across the Bridge and to the tactical station. Having a seat and smiled and his eyes lite as he took in the view of his new second home. He was going to spend more time here than he knew and he was perfectly ok with that.

Getting into the Moment Asher began to make adjustments to his station. Making a custom control setting that he believed was most efficient. Getting so into it Asher wasn't sure how much time had past when he heard a door slide open from the other side of the bridge.

Looking up he knew in a moment it was the Captain and he jumped to attention. He wasn't sure how this new CO wanted things and Asher found it always safe to start off formal and tone it down as needed, "Chief Petty Officer Asher, Chief Security and Tactical Officer, Reporting for Duty, Sir,"

"At ease Chief," said Cal with a smile. He closed the space between them and extended a hand, "Commander Calvin Rhodes. It's good to finally meet you Chief,"

"You too sir, I am happy to be aboard," He took the commander's hand and provided a firm handshake as his father had taught him.

Cal smiled. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with your department workload Chief." Cal took in the bridge a moment. "Outside of the Diplomatic department and Command, you'll have the most dealings with our visiting dignitaries."

"When I put in for the assignment that ran across my mind," he gave a little smirk,"I figured it would make things a little more interested. I've never been one to take the easy path, So why start now?"

"I'm glad to hear that." Cal wore a perpetual smile for the Chief. " We do have a lot to get finished before he depart starbase, you in particular."

"I know," He sighed,"Most of my staff will be arriving today and tomorrow. I should have shifts, duty stations, and all that good stuff worked out by then. After that, it is just implementing it. Do you know what our first assignment is yet?"

Cal shook his head. "Just waiting on our exact orders.And they must be of some importance if they've waited this long."

Asher was a little surprised by that comment, "So, you don't think we are going to have the normal Shakedown cruise?" The Shakedown was kind of a normal thing for most new or recommissioned ships, a change from that made Asher think this first Mission could be a big one.

"The shakedown has already been completed by the Shipyard staff, or as much a shakedown as she'll get." The Captain had to admit, he was unaccustomed to this type of situation, but he had the highest confidence that the shipyard had done their duty correctly.

"As long as our targeting sensors lock and we don't end up needing a tow back to dock I'll be happy," Asher joked, "Is there anything specific you would like me to address before we launch, Sir?"

Cal smiled again. "Well, since you asked. I need a security sweep of all diplomatic facilities, including VIP quarters and consular offices, before our delegates begin arriving. "

"Delegates?" Asher had a moment of panic not sure if he was missing something. He knew they were going to have Admirals aboard for the Inspection but he didn't think they would be staying.

Cal conveyed a look of confusion. "London has been named the Task Force's Diplomatic Liner." He explained.

"I know that Sir" Asher Replied, "But we aren't expecting any right off the bat, are we? You said before they start to arrive, who is arriving and when?"

Cal smiled, understanding the chief's desire to be informed. "The Federation Delegation will be aboard in about ten days." He squinted his eys, recalling the timeline.

"Ok," Asher replied with a nod knowing that was plenty of time, "Shouldn't be a problem, Sir," He nodded again to reassure himself as he thought about the list of things to do, "Are there any known special security concerns at the moment?"

The Commander shook his head. "Nothing as of yet." He said cheerily, but cheery at the prospect of leaving the vicinity of earth as soon as was permitted.

"Sounds good to me," Asher stated, "If there is nothing else, Sir, it seems I have some Delegates to prep for,"

"Thank you, Sir," Asher replied as he remained at his bridge station to start his work here. ]]>Sat, 13 Aug 2016 04:09:31 +0000What's Old is Newhttp://london.pegasusfleet.net/index.php/sim/viewpost/66
http://london.pegasusfleet.net/index.php/sim/viewpost/66Mission - 01-A Prologue of Sorts Location - USS London - Sickbay, VariousTimeline - MD02 - 1700

While Nikola was Chief Medical Officer on the USS London, she felt like she was six years old visiting her grandmother as she showed Nikola where she used to work on Deck 12. It had been that long since she was aboard an Ambassador class star ship, but for some reason, it still felt familiar. She liked to think that experience solidified her amazement with space exploration and practicing medicine in the final frontier.

This class of ship had changed a good bit over the years, and to add to that, the London had recently gotten another refit. However, that didn't stop her from noticing the old features and layouts compared to the new. She walked through the sickbay doors and noticed that where there would have normally been doors leading to extra surgery rooms, they were instead labeled as modern medical holodeck rooms. A part of Nikola was relieved, and that made her feel silly. While she new the ship would be modern, she still had the image of the more weathered Ambassador class ship from her childhood in her mind. After checking the console to make sure her personal data files had transferred successfully and that the medical files for ship personnel were there, she made her way up from Deck 12.

"Computer, location of Commander Rhodes." Nikola requested.

"Commander Rhodes is on the Bridge." Came the familiar female voice of the Ship's Computer.

As Nikola stepped on the bridge she realized how strange an action it seemed. Usually the only medical officer to visit the bridge of a ship with any frequency at all was the Chief Medical Officer. This was her first time being Chief. It would take getting used to. She saw the Commander entering several commands into the console on the captain's chair.

"Commander, Lieutenant Nikola Hildebrand, reporting for duty." Nikola said with a tone of attention and respect but colored with the inflection of a warm greeting. She had of course heard about the commander's father, but couldn't understand what all the fuss was about in regards to him.

Looking up from his work, Cal smiled at Nikola. He stood. "Commander Calvin Rhodes. Good to meet you Lieutenant." He thought a moment, trying to recall names and positions from the manifest. It was never easy to remember everyone right out of the gate.

"I'm looking forward to working with you, but if all goes well, not on you." Nikola wasn't sure her simple joke eased the encounter or made it worse as the Commander's polite smile didn't give anything away. She decided to push on, "Don't mind that, just a medical department joke." and she let out a light chuckle. "I have just been lost in the nostalgia of the ship. The refit looks great, but I can still see much of the old design under the skin. It was a ship much like this that sparked my interest in Starfleet."

"Oh really?" Cal asked glancing around the room. "I half expected it to be a rusted out nk of junk when I got my orders, but it is a rather nice ship. isn't it?"

"It is." Nikola said, looking at the room as the commander did as if in response. "I believe it will serve us quite well. The medical bay and attached areas are all up to Starfleet modern standards. It will be a good work environment. That brings me to my next question, sir. I know it isn't common decor, but I was wondering if I could put up a few tasteful pieces of art in sickbay. Peaceful landscapes, that sort of thing. There is research to show at worst it doesn't hurt and at best, it can really take the wind out of trauma from injury or disease."

Without a second thought Cal shook his head. "I think considering the type of people we will be working with that's a great idea."

Nikola didn't like to think of the situations that their mission might put them in, but had nevertheless spent time preparing for the worst. She thought she might requisition some more medical supplies from the station just in case. "Thanks, Commander. It's good to meet you. Anything else, sir?"

"Nothing off the top of my head. " Said Cal resuming his smile." Dismissed."

The thumbs up and the wide smile across the Ensign’s lips was exactly what Lieutenant Zoé Moreau was hoping to see.

The twenty-something burly man, probably at his first assignment, was standing by the docking ramp that granted access to Zoé's new post: the USS London. She walked right past the young man without stopping to thank him for his help, just barely acknowledging his presence with a glance and a quick nod.

She had been pacing across the halls of Spacedock since zero six hundred hours, refusing to come aboard before the Commanding Officer would have done so. Upon spotting Zoé walking back and forth as if she was a restless soul, the Ensign had promptly offered to assist her. After receiving such a courteous invitation, Zoé had instructed the man to discretely inform her when the London's Commanding Officer would have boarded the starship. Now it was late afternoon and, apparently, the man had finally shown up.

A single deep breath was all that Zoé allowed to herself as she made her entrance into what would have been her new home for who knew how long. She had already committed to memory all specifications and every little detail concerning the ship, thus she didn't hesitate for a moment when she reached her personal quarters on Deck Two, the usual blank expression covering her face while she walked with a self-assured gait, ignoring those who happened to cross her path in those minutes.

Her quarters turned out to be cozier than expected. On her previous assignment, the Excelsior-class USS Fredrickson, her room had been more spartan and certainly less spacious. Most of her personal effects had already arrived and had been left on the floor in a way that would have made it easier for her to organize the cabin as she wanted it. The hint of a smile appeared on her lips, her cerulean eyes slowly sliding from one side of the room to the other.

Better get started, she thought. The cabin would have been her sanctuary, the place where she would have spent most of her time in solitude. She had always been a lone-she-wolf, eve during her puberty, when most boys and girls alike usually gave their parents plenty of troubles. Not Zoé Moreau, though. She had studied and then studied some more, her mind never drifting towards frivolous notions, her desire to experience the vastness of space stronger and stronger in the very core of her being as the years went by. Until she had attended Starfleet Academy, infuriating her rich father, but transmuting that dream of seeing space into a reality she had so desperately wanted.

Now she was fully in charge of her destiny and nothing pleased her more. As she began unpacking her belongings, neatly arranging them around the cabin, she wondered about the rest of the Senior Officers that now served aboard the London. Things had to change and she knew it. If she wanted to further her career and achieve her goals, then she had to find a way to step up and be more social, become more of an example that men and women would have gladly followed. The only way to do that was to inspire people and show her leadership qualities in a manner that didn't come across as the ruthless, unapologetic taskmistress she had been known to be, most of the times.

She stood rooted in place before her bed as she pondered on her future, an old book about the ancient Sumerians clutched in her hands; a gift from her father. She sighed and pouted, if only for a moment. After so many years of being who she had always been, she had no idea of how she was supposed to reinvent herself.

Perhaps time was all that she needed, and only time itself would have provided a definitive answer.]]>Sat, 06 Aug 2016 05:35:01 +0000Me and My Right Handhttp://london.pegasusfleet.net/index.php/sim/viewpost/61
http://london.pegasusfleet.net/index.php/sim/viewpost/61Mission - 01-A Prologue of Sorts Location - Captain's Ready RoomTimeline - MD02-0915

Rebecca had been aboard for about an hour and had worked hard at getting a short look around the ship, finding her quarters, and ensuring that her belongings had been delivered. She knew that she should have probably gone to the Commanding Officer first but the need to procrastinate was heavy. She looked at the PADD in her hand and sighed before stuffing it back into her large cargo pocket of her uniform trousers and made her way to the Ready Room where she rang the chime as she reached the door. She adjusted her uniform and hoped that her hair looked okay she took a deep breath and as he called her to enter she made her way forward.

"Lieutenant Commander Rebecca Shields, sir," she said, standing at attention before the CO.

Cal looked up from his work as the doors parted, and rounded his desk towards the young Lieutenant Commander. "Good to finally meet you." He said extending his hand to the young woman.

"Please sit." He indicated the chair in front of the desk. "I trust your trip here went well?" he asked cordially, rounding back to his own seat.

Rebecca shook the man's hand and then sat down as invited. "It did sir, thank you," she said, pleasantly.

Calvin activated his computer terminal. "I see you have some pretty in-depth experience in diplomacy." He looked over his computer at her. "Can you tell me about that?"

"Uh sure... I went to college for Galactic Relations and Conflict Resolution and then my Masters I got in Governmental Affairs and Public Policy. I worked originally as a civilian for a Federation Archival Unit. I then joined Starfleet as a Direct Commissioned Officer into the Diplomatic Corps. I worked aboard vessels, I've worked to negotiate medical aide, and my last assignment before coming here was with the Starfleet Liaison to the Federation Office of Planetary Treaties."

Glancing behind the XO towards the door, Cal looked a bit nervous. "I'm glad to have someone with your experience. From what I understand it's going to come in handy." He made direct eye contact with Rebecca for a brief moment, and looked away but smiled.

"I'm glad to be able to be someplace I'm needed sir," she told him, smiling back at him.

"You've found you're quarters alright?" He asked, returning his gaze to the the First Officer.

"I have," she told him.

As she spoke, Cal happened to glance at his terminal and immediately stood. "I'm so sorry to cut this short Commander, but I have a meeting with the new Chief Steward that I'm about to be late for."

"No worries sir," she said, giving a bit of a simile and standing.

"I am so looking forward to working with you Miss Sheilds. " He walked with her towards the door. "The Bridge is yours. Make yourself comfortable." He said with a smile before making his way to the Turbolift and taking the lift down.

"Thank you sir," she said, looking around the bridge. She shrugged and then moved to the lift to continue about her business.]]>Fri, 05 Aug 2016 23:54:44 +0000A New Homehttp://london.pegasusfleet.net/index.php/sim/viewpost/64
http://london.pegasusfleet.net/index.php/sim/viewpost/64Mission - 01-A Prologue of Sorts Location - Various Timeline - MD01 - 1000 hours

Asher stood in front of the mirror in the barracks at Star fleet command. He adjusted the rank pip one more time before stepping back and looking at himself. Chief Petty Officer Asher, You are looking good today, He thought to himself.

He liked the sound of that, Chief Petty officer. The addition of one little star on his pip and everything felt better. He knew that rank was just a title and that most of the time it meant a whole lot of nothing. He had taught that to several ensigns in his day who attempted pull rank but this felt different. Chief Petty officer was a rank he could really be proud of. Not only did it show the amount of experience he had but it also showed the dedication he had to the job.

Grabbing his bag from the bed he had been calling home for the last week while the London was unavailable Asher moved to start his new job. He was not a department head, a position he never thought he could reach without being an officer.

It took almost an hour for Asher to arrive on the dry dock but it wasn't long after that that he was stepping across the gangway onto the London. As his feet touched the bulkhead for the first time Asher smiled and took a deep breath. From this moment on, this was not only his home but he was also in charge of keeping it safe.

Knowing that all of his personal belonging would not be arriving on the ship for a good while Asher felt no need to see his quarters. With his duffle on his shoulder, he headed directly to deck 10 and the Security offices.

Upon engineering his offices a young Ensign greeted him, "Good Day, How may I help you?"

"I am Chief Petty Officer Asher," That was the first time he had said it out loud and he loved every moment of it, " the new Chief Security/Tactical Officer, Can you point me to my office," Asher Already knew that his office was behind door number two but he wanted to play it cool,

"Chief?" The Ensign looked confused for a moment before looking down at his console, "Oh, I am Sorry, Chief," he seemed embarrassed, "Your office is the door directly to your left. I am Ensign Wyatt, I will be one of your Security officers,"

It was clear that both of the men did not know how to address each other. Ashers positions placed him above the Ensign but the Ensign out ranked the CPO. In the silence of the moment, they both agreed that just using rank would be best for now.

"Thank you, Ensign," He nodded with s smile, "It is nice to meet you," before heading to into his office.

Setting his bag down to the right of the door Asher moved across the room and ran his hand across his desk.

"I think I am going to like this," he said to himself before taking a seat and surveying the room. ]]>Tue, 02 Aug 2016 05:01:23 +0000You Look Losthttp://london.pegasusfleet.net/index.php/sim/viewpost/57
http://london.pegasusfleet.net/index.php/sim/viewpost/57Mission - 01-A Prologue of Sorts Location - Earth SpacedockTimeline - MD01- Late Afternoon

After an uneventful shuttle ride, Calvin found himself lost in hustle and bustle of Earth Spacedock. With his bag slung over his shoulder, he walked through the throngs of people utterly disoriented.

A young Bolian Ensign noticed the Commander looking around the deck, and made his way over to him. "I'm sorry sir, I couldn't help but notice that you look lost."

Calvin felt a flood of relief wash over him "Was it that obvious?" He asked, an embarassed smile forming on his face.

The jovial Bolian moved in a bit closer, to avoid the oise of the crowded area. "Not at all sir. Stardock can be a bit overwhelming."

Rhodes smiled, "You go that right." He said adjusted the bag on his shoulder. "Could you point me to the USS London, it's at Docking Section Fourteen."

"Let me walk you there." said the Ensign.

Cal nodded, and followed the blue skinned young man.

"New assignment?" Asked the Ensig, as he led Cal through the crowd.

Calvin smiled. "My first Command actually." He adjusted his bag again. He thought about introducing himself, but feared the reprecussions of doing that. the last thing he wanted was to be recognized or hounded, especially here with so many people around.

The Ensign turned down a side hall and Calvin followed. "I've been aboard Stardock for three months now, you meet a lot of people here."

The morning began as the past few had. Calvin woke up, got himself ready for duty, left his quarters for breakfast, tried to ignore the obvious stares while he ate, then he ventured across the Command Campus feeling the stares and whispers once more, when he arrived at Admiral Eton's office he wasn't the least bit surprised that the chatty officers he worked with fell silent on first glance. Calvin sighed, wondering if this was what he could expect for the rest of his career. luckily for him, this was the last day it would happen to him here.

The news had hit quite early in the morning just two days before. Most of Starfleet Command knew about before even Cal did. He had noticed the stares and the whispers, buit assumed he was imagining it. That is until he read the morning news communiques. There, plastered in the largest print possible, 'COUNCILMAN RHODES INDICTED." He couldn't help but read on, all the while feeling the stares more and more intensly. His father, the man he looked up to or most of his life, involved in such a dark plot. He felt a lump in his throat, as he continued reading, only to learn that his father had been remanded to a High Security prison on Delta Vega. He could not believe what he was reading.

Without a second though, Cal rose and left the mess, the gazes of his comrade followed him out the door. He started to jog, and soon found himself at outside the private office of his boss, Vice Admiral Eton. He took a deep breath, and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his uniform. He was nervous, but he knew this was something that needed to be done. He reachedout, without another thought, and pressed the proximity chime

The door opened to allow Cal in, and he saw the aging face of Admiral Eton, seated behind an ornate oak desk. "Ah, Calvin. Come, sit." The man said, his face neutral.

'He knows, and he's going to fire me. Or worse, discharge me.' Cal though, moving further into the room, and lowering himself into a seat opposite the Admiral.

the pair sat in silence a moment. The Admiral typed away at his computer terminal.

Returning his gaze to young Calvin, Eton spoke at a relaxed pace. "What's not to understand Commander? This seems the best solution for you."

"Sir, you're giving me a command." Cal was still in shock, it was the opposite from what he assumed the Admiral's reaction would be.

"I don't believe in holding people responsible for the mistakes of their kin." The aged man said, folding his hands on the desk in front of him." This will be much better for you than putting up with the stares and the backlash here."

"Thank you sir." Was all cal could muster at the moment. It was truly a great gesture from a wonderful man, and another man he idolized.

"You should get going. You'll need to pack." The Admiral turned his attention back to the screen before him. "Consider the next two days compassionate leniency on my part. You're dismissed Commander. Good luck."

Cal stood, and snapped to attention. "Thank you sir, for everything." He turned quickly, and left the office.

And now here his was. Calvin double checked his PADD. The transfer was confirmed, as was his transportation. But his pilot was no where to be found.

He walked around, bags in hand, looking for any sign of activity.

Calvin wished to be off the planet, and away from the galactic controversy that was his family. So much so he was considering commandeering a shuttle to fly himself to Spacedock.

As his mind began to wander with toughts of taking a shuttle for himself. he nearly walked into a stout woman, in a yellow Engineering division jumpsuit.

"Watch it." She said, he voice thick with a Boston accent.

"I'm sorry." The Commander reganed his footing " Are you Warrant Officer Sharpe?" He asked, looking at his PADD.

A look of recognition broke on her face, "Commander Rhodes?' She asked, snapping herself to attention.

"Yes. I'm scheduled to leave soon." He began, suddenly uneasy about the situation" Can we get underway?"

Sharpe, snapped into action, "Yes sir, just one moment."she half ranin the direction that Cal had arrived from, and disappeared. Only to return just as quickly as she left. Her speed was surprising, given her physical stature.

"Alright Commander. If you'll follow me." She gestured for him, "May I take your bags sir?"

"No that's fine Warrant." He said, tightening his grip on his bags. He stepped in the direction she indicated. Down a row of Type 18 Shuttlepods. They stopped about halfway down the row.

"There she is." Sharpe exclaimed."Shall we?" She ushered Cal into the tiny craft.

Cal settled into a seat. Sharpe followed suit, and began to key in commands, "Yard control wishes us safe travels."

And with that, they departed for Cal's way out. For his new begining.]]>Sat, 02 Jul 2016 01:27:26 +0000